Business: Scotland

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage businesses to relocate to the west coast of Scotland.

Matthew Hancock: holding answer 6 January 2014
	The UK benefits from its shared business framework with free movement of goods and services, capital and people. It provides a foundation for businesses, from starting up to hiring employees, accessing capital and patenting new ideas to encourage businesses to expand and grow in the UK, including on the west coast of Scotland. The UK Government also provides direct assistance such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.
	Through devolution, Scottish businesses benefit from the best of both worlds, as business support is a devolved matter, and delivery is the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

Human Trafficking

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of human trafficking were identified by healthcare providers in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: We do not hold this information. Information on victims of human trafficking is recorded by the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The information is collected by referrals made by first responders, which include the police, National Crime Agency and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority. Health care providers are currently not designated as first responders, but we keep this issue under constant review.

Human Trafficking

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimates she has made of the number of potential cases of trafficking for labour exploitation in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

James Brokenshire: Data from the National Referral Mechanism includes information on identified exploitation types within each of the countries of the United Kingdom. Quarterly statistics are published on the website of the National Crime Agency:
	www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk

Human Trafficking

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what programmes for rehabilitation and assistance of trafficking victims are offered to victims beyond the 45 day recovery and reflection period; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Government funds a 45-day reflection and recovery period for victims of human trafficking who have been identified through the National Referral Mechanism. Once the period in funded support comes to an end, individuals, who have a right to reside in the UK may be helped to access wider support from local authorities and other mainstream support providers. If a victim wishes to return to their home country, and it is safe to do so, they will be supported in their return by the appropriate authorities.
	Individuals without leave to remain in the UK, or without an outstanding immigration claim, are expected to return home voluntarily and will be supported to do so safely.

Police: Information

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2013, Official Report, column 546W, on police: information, 
	(1)  if she will personally review the guidance on the use of police information notices;
	(2)  if she will discuss the issuing of police information notices with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Policing Improvement Agency;
	(3)  for what reason the guidance on the issuing of police information notices has not been updated since 2009;
	(4)  whether she is satisfied that the guidance on the use of police information notices (a) represents best practice and (b) is fit for the purpose for which it is intended.

Norman Baker: Any decision to review or update police guidance on Police Information Notices is an operational matter for the College of Policing. I am encouraged that the National Policing Lead on stalking and the Director of Public Prosecutions have committed to establishing a Joint National Protocol to drive improvements in the investigation of stalking and harassment. The new Protocol will challenge the inappropriate use of Police Information Notices.
	If my Honourable Friend has specific concerns, I would encourage him to write to me.

Business: Investment

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to paragraph 1.50, page 23 of the autumn statement 2013, for what reasons business investment is expected to fall by 5.5 per cent in 2013; and what assessment he has made of the implications for government policy of such a reduction.

Nicky Morgan: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expect business investment to have grown through 2013, with their December 2013 Economic and fiscal outlook forecasting 1.7% growth from the end of 2012 to the end of 2013. However, because of a fall in the level of investment at the end of 2012, the total amount of business investment in 2013 is expected to be lower than in 2012, falling 5.3%.
	The OBR, Bank of England and HM Treasury have cited two key reasons for weaker than expected business investment during the recovery; weak lending to businesses and high levels of uncertainty. Recent indicators suggest each of these factors has improved through 2013, with a range of surveys and statistics suggesting improving credit conditions and falling uncertainty, supporting investment.
	Furthermore, the authorities have taken extensive action to support investment, including supportive monetary policy, the Funding for Lending scheme, cuts to the corporation tax rate, planning reform and an increased annual investment allowance.
	The OBR forecast business investment growth to strengthen in future years, consistent with the strengthening investment intentions seen in survey data, with growth of 5.1% in 2014, 8.6% in 2015 and rising to 8.9% in 2017.

Debts: Developing Countries

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to support the work of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on formulating proposals for a Sovereign Debt Work-out Mechanism and building global consensus for its creation.

Sajid Javid: Co-ordinated international action through existing multilateral frameworks such as the Paris Club, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative have delivered billions of debt relief in recent years. Any proposal for a wider sovereign debt work-out mechanism would need to be considered on its merits.

Double Taxation

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for HM Revenue and Customs of the recent High Court decision, R (on the application of Huitson) v Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (2011) EWCA Civ 893, in respect of section 58(4) of the Finance Act 2008.

David Gauke: UK residents are taxable on their worldwide income wherever it arises—including situations where it arises by way of foreign partnerships. Section 58 of Finance Act 2008 was enacted to help put that beyond doubt and in so doing, made clear that a wholly artificial tax avoidance scheme involving a foreign partnership comprised of foreign trustees did not work.
	The Government has given full consideration to all decisions of the Courts which relate to section 58, including the case referred to above.

Inflation: Housing

Steven Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on the Coalition Agreement commitment to work with the Bank of England to investigate how the process of including housing costs in the CPI measure of inflation can be accelerated; and if he will make a statement.

Nicky Morgan: From March 2013 the Office for National Statistics has been publishing 'CPIH', a measure of CPI inflation that includes owner-occupiers' housing costs. The UK Statistics Authority announced on 10 December 2013 that, after a review, CPIH had been awarded 'national statistics' status.

NATO

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss of revenue to the Exchequer as a consequence of NATO's tax-exempt status.

Hugh Robertson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
	No assessment has been made of the loss of revenue to the Exchequer as a consequence of NATO's tax-exempt status. This could only be done at disproportionate cost. NATO do not have a centralised accounting system nor a central computerised search facility. Collating a reply would require coordinating inputs from around 40 NATO structures, located across all 28 NATO members states and tracking records back to 1957. Pre 1997 records are on paper files.

Network Rail

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  following the reclassification of Network Rail, whether official borrowing and debt figures will continue to exclude Network Rail debt;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the Government's deficit of reclassification of Network Rail's debt.

Danny Alexander: holding answers 6 January 2014
	As set out at autumn statement, the Government welcomes this review by the ONS and has always been committed to a transparent reporting of public liabilities. It will therefore implement the ONS's decision in reporting arrangements, in line with this Government's commitment to transparency. The reclassification of Network Rail to the public sector is a statistical decision. It does not change the industry structure or affect the day-to-day operations of the rail network.
	The OBR highlighted the potential impact of a public sector reclassification in Box 4.2 of its December 2013 “Economic and fiscal outlook”. This was reiterated in paragraph 1.80 of the autumn statement 2013. The independent OBR will in due course estimate the impacts of this decision on the public finances and on the mandate.
	The Government inherited the biggest deficit in the developed world from the previous Government. Thanks to difficult decisions the deficit is down by a third. The Government will continue to reduce the deficit by taking difficult decisions to cut public spending and prioritise investment in infrastructure to deliver a stronger economy and fairer society.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claimants in the UK were entitled to short-term benefit advances between April and December 2013; and how many such advances were issued to jobseeker's allowance claimants in the UK between April and December 2013.

Esther McVey: In the period April to December 2013 our Decision Makers awarded 60,749 Short Term Benefit Advances to eligible benefit claimants. We do not collate the number of advances made broken down by benefit type only the total number of Short Term Benefit Advances made.

Social Security Benefits

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 760W, on social security benefits, at what rate claimants are asked to repay such advances; and whether any (a) interest and (b) other charge is applied.

Esther McVey: Short-term benefit advances (STBA) are advances of current Legacy benefits (including employment and support allowance and job seeker's allowance). The maximum recovery period is normally 12 weeks, but claimants may request a shorter recovery period if they wish. Deductions start from the second full benefit payment. Negotiating the amount of the weekly deduction and length of the recovery period is part of the STBA award process and agreement of the terms and conditions are necessary before an advance is paid. STBAs are advances of benefit and not loans therefore no interest or charges are applied.
	The recovery period for universal credit (new claim) and (change of circumstances) advances is six months and for budgeting advances 12 months, starting from the next payment of universal credit after receipt of the advance. The rate of recovery for an advance is calculated by dividing the amount of benefit advanced by the number of months it is to be recovered over. This results in equal monthly repayment amounts which are deducted from the claimant's monthly universal credit award. universal credit advances are advances of benefit and not loans therefore no interest or charges are applied.

Social Security Benefits

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether a claimant who makes his Department or a jobcentre aware that they are in financial need will always then be informed that they may be eligible to claim a short-term benefit advance; and if not, under what circumstances such a person will be informed;
	(2)  what guidance his Department gives jobcentre staff on when to inform people that they may be eligible for a short-term benefit advance.

Esther McVey: Where a claimant states that they are in urgent need they will be given advice about claiming a short term benefit advance (STBA). If an STBA is clearly not appropriate for example, the claimant has no entitlement to benefit, then they will be advised of alternative support services in their area.
	Written guidance is provided to staff to help them decide whether a short term benefit advance is appropriate.

Developing Countries: Forests

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations the Executive Director for the UK of the World Bank has made on the need for the World Bank to allocate funds through the Climate Investment Funds' Forest Investment Programme to (a) capacity building in national parliaments and (b) the development of national legislation as part of the preparation and implementation of REDD+ strategies in developing countries.

Lynne Featherstone: The World Bank does not take decisions on the allocation of Forest Investment Programme (FIP) funds. Decisions on the allocation of funds are taken by the FIP Sub-Committee, based on investment plans submitted by developing country governments. The Sub-Committee comprises six donor countries and six recipient countries.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress her Department has made on improving access to clean water and sanitation globally; and what steps she is taking to address the findings of the report, We can't wait, published by WaterAid, WSSCC and Unilever on 19 November 2013.

Lynne Featherstone: I welcome the WaterAid report into what is a critical issue for developing countries, particularly for women and girls, and DFID is already addressing the issues raised.
	On the conclusion concerning a role for the private sector in delivery of water and sanitation, DFID recently won an award for working with Unilever on a new approach to urban sanitation in Ghana;
	On the post-2015 development framework recommendation, we strongly endorse the recommendations of the High Level Panel, which was co-chaired by the UK Prime Minister, and included an illustrative dedicated goal for water with ambitious targets for water and sanitation services;
	On the world keeping its promises, we are also working through the Sanitation and Water for All initiative to ensure there is accountability on commitments donors and countries make.
	The UK is on target to meet our commitment to support 60 million people gain access to sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services in the developing world through expanding existing projects and by entering into new partnerships with major WASH organisations.

International Assistance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was pledged overall and by each of the top five donor countries to the World Bank's IDA 17 replenishment at the meeting in Moscow on 17 December 2013; what the Bank's and the UK's development priorities will be for IDA 17; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), placed a written ministerial statement before Parliament on 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 128WS, on the outcome of negotiations on the seventeenth replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA 17).
	The negotiations secured over £34 billion in total resources for IDA 17. In light of strong results and the reforms made since the last IDA replenishment as well as a commitment to further reforms, the UK has agreed to contribute an average of £938 million per year for the next three years to this total. Britain will also provide a concessional loan, to be paid back to the UK, worth £500 million over the three year period. Information on the pledges of others will become available once the World Bank Board has formally approved the outcome of the negotiations, expected to be March 2014, and so at this stage we are unable to publish figures for the other donors.
	The UK has successfully ensured that our development priorities (economic development, gender, fragile and conflict-affected states, and tackling climate change) are the priority themes in IDA 17, which means that particular attention will be paid to improving IDA's impact in these areas. The UK has also secured a greater focus on value for money and results, for example by better tracking of cost-effectiveness and of the impact of IDA in these priority themes.

Sudan and South Sudan

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to enhance economic participation rights of women in Sudan and South Sudan.

Lynne Featherstone: UK support to Sudan and South Sudan is helping to address barriers to and enhance opportunities for women's economic participation, including improving access to education, health care, justice and financial services. In 2012 UK aid funded health and nutrition related programmes which reached 457,811 women and girls. Between the start of 2011 and September 2013, UK support also helped 20,226 women access financial services.
	In South Sudan, the UK's Girls Education programme is working to help 200,000 girls to complete secondary school education over five years, while the UK-led Health Pooled Fund is helping to deliver basic health services across six out of South Sudan's 10 states. The UK is also supporting 13,000 young women across four states to build their literacy and livelihoods skills as a foundation for future employment.
	Due to the current situation in South Sudan, our immediate focus is on humanitarian support. We have announced a further £12.5 million to provide an emergency lifeline of tents, health care and other vital supplies to thousands people who have fled their homes in South Sudan.
	This is in addition to British humanitarian support of £24 million in October that has already allowed agencies on the ground to respond and provide food and medical supplies and reprioritise towards the most critical needs.

Electricity

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what the average cost was to the National Grid per MWHr of electricity generated by the Short Term Operating Reserve in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the average cost was to the National Grid per MWHr of electricity generated by the Non-Balancing Mechanism category of the Short Term Operating Reserve in each of the last five years.

Michael Fallon: The following data from National Grid shows the average cost per MWH of electricity of utilising the Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) over the last five full STOR years (April to March):
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008-09 215.16 
			 2009-10 220.63 
			 2010-11 193.80 
			 2011-12 186.38 
			 2012-13 156.70 
		
	
	There has been strong downward pressure on these prices over the past few years as a result of increasing levels of competition.
	National Grid does not currently monitor utilisation volumes and rates for Non-Balancing Mechanism sites in isolation. Overall, they believe that Balancing Mechanism and Non-Balancing Mechanism accepted tenders are comparable and therefore the above data applies to both.

Renewable Energy: Scotland

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of renewable subsidies in Scotland (a) in 2013-14, (b) in the period till 2016-17 and (c) beyond 2016-17.

Gregory Barker: As the Government has explained in its written evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee, there is no single definition of 'subsidy':
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmenvaud/writev/61/energy.pdf
	The Government set out the package of support it provides for renewables and other energy sources within this evidence. Upper limits on levies and agreed budgets may differ from actual expenditure on renewables, and forecast policy expenditure for renewable deployment are not modelled at a geographical level, and therefore figures for Scotland are not available.
	The implications of Scottish independence for energy issues, including renewables, will be examined in forthcoming publications from the Scotland analysis programme.

Minister Without Portfolio

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what international visits the Minister Without Portfolio the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings, has undertaken in his official capacity since 1 January 2012; and what mode of travel was used for each such visit funded by his Department;
	(2)  what international visits the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for Rushcliffe, has undertaken in his official capacity since January 2012; and what mode of travel was used for each such visit funded by his Department;
	(3)  what international visits the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for West Dorset, has undertaken in his official capacity since January 2012; and what mode of travel was used for each such visit funded by his Department;
	(4)  on how many occasions the Minister Without Portfolio the right hon. Member for West Dorset, has used an official car from the Ministerial Car Pool since 1 January 2012; and what the departure and destination locations were on each such occasion;
	(5)  on how many occasions the Minister Without Portfolio the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings, has used an official car from the Ministerial Car Pool since 1 January 2012; and what the departure and destination locations were on each such occasion;
	(6)  on how many occasions the Minister Without Portfolio the right hon. Member for Rushcliffe, has used an official car from the Ministerial Car Pool since 1 January 2012; and what the departure and destination locations were on each such occasion;
	(7)  how many special advisers have been employed by the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for West Dorset, since January 2012; and what the salaries, insofar as they were funded by his Department, were of those advisers;
	(8)  how many special advisers have been employed by the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for Rushcliffe, since January 2012; and what the salaries, insofar as they were funded by his Department, were of those advisers;
	(9)  how many special advisers have been employed by the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings, since January 2012; and what the salaries, insofar as they were funded by his Department, were of those advisers;
	(10)  how many staff have been employed by the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for West Dorset, since January 2012; and what the salaries, insofar as they were funded by his Department, were of those staff;
	(11)  how many staff have been employed by the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for South Holland and the Deepings, since January 2012; and what the salaries, insofar as they were funded by his Department, were of those staff;
	(12)  how many staff have been employed in the office of the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for Rushcliffe, since January 2012; and what the salaries, insofar as they were funded by his Department, were of those staff;
	(13)  whether any special advisers are employed to support the right hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield in his role as Minister Without Portfolio; and at what cost such advisers are employed;
	(14)  how many officials of his Department are employed for the purpose of providing support to the right hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield in his role as Minister Without Portfolio; and at what cost such staff are employed.

Francis Maude: Successive Governments have included Ministers Without Portfolio.
	Details of ministerial overseas travel are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations-april-to-june-2013
	This Department maintains a car pool for official purposes. The detailed information requested is not maintained.
	I refer the hon. Member to the list of special advisers the Government publishes, the most recent of which was published on 25 October 2013. The list details special advisers' in post, their pay band and their actual salary where this is £58,200 or higher. This can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs-october-2013

Open Government Partnership

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Government is taking to encourage other members of the Open Government Partnership to implement their National Action Plans.

Francis Maude: Countries are responsible for implementing their own plans but the United Kingdom offers support to other member countries including via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	During our tenure as chair of the OGP we organised a number of peer engagement events and oversaw the creation of the Independent Reporting Mechanism, which reports on countries' progress in implementing National Action Plans.

Pay

William Bain: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate based on the annual survey of hours and earnings published on 12 December 2013 the number and proportion of (a) people, (b) men and (c) women in (i) work, (ii) full-time work and (iii) part-time work in each (A) local authority area and (B) parliamentary constituency earning less than the UK living wage in 2013 to date.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2014
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate based on the annual survey of hours and earnings published on 12 December 2013 of the number and proportion of (a) people, (b) men and (c) women in (i) work, (ii) full-time work and (iii) part-time work in each (A) local authority area and (B) Parliamentary constituency earning less than the UK living wage in 2013 to date. (180794).
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Hourly levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose earnings for the survey pay period were not affected by absence. It is not possible to estimate the number of people with earnings below specified thresholds, though it is possible to estimate the corresponding proportion of employee jobs. Figures relate to employee jobs, which are defined as those held by employees and not the self-employed.
	In April 2013, the latest period for which results are available, the Living Wage rates suggested by the Living Wage Foundation were £8.55 for employees who worked in London and £7.45 for employees who did not work in London. Tables showing estimates of the proportion of employee jobs with hourly earnings below the living wage proposed by the Living Wage Foundation for each parliamentary constituency and local authority in the UK will be placed in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much of the proposed modification work on vehicles used in Afghanistan to make them fit for use on UK roads will be undertaken by (a) the Defence Support Group and (b) other agencies or companies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many of the companies who will undertake modifications of vehicles returning from Afghanistan to make them fit for use on UK roads have undertaken contract work during operations in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how much his Department has (a) allocated and (b) spent to date on the modification programmes for the vehicles bought specifically for Afghanistan to ensure that they are fit for use in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: I am withholding information on how much the Department has allocated to the modification programme, as negotiations with contractors are currently ongoing, and disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. Decisions on the companies that will be involved in the work, and how much of it will be undertaken by the Defence Support Group or other agencies, will be made as the contractual process is finalised.

Defence Equipment and Support

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the salary, pension entitlement and benefits-in-kind are of the newly appointed Chief Executive of DE&S+.

Andrew Murrison: The role of Chief of Defence Materiel (CDM) and the Chief Executive of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) are the same roles, with the new title reflecting the change in status of DE&S as an arm's length body. Details of salary, pension entitlement and taxable benefits-in-kind will, therefore, be set out in the MOD annual report and accounts in the normal way.
	The most recent data, for the 2012-13 financial year, is set out in table 7.116 on page 75 of the report and at paragraph 7.118 on page 76. A copy of the report is available to view in the Vote Office and is also available on the internet at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-annual-report-and-accounts-201213

Defence: Procurement

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) other European governments with a view to creating a VAT exemption for pan-European defence procurement projects; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: The Secretary of State for Defence has had no specific meetings on the issue, although it was raised by some member states in the lead-up to the 19-20 December European Council. The UK position is as set out in the 18-19 November Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions; that while we are willing to look at incentives for co-operation between member states on equipment in general, any such incentive must not result in market distortions and must be consistent with the law. Moreover, any specific tax proposals, including VAT exemptions, must be referred to the Economic and Financial Affairs Council as tax is a sovereign issue for individual member states to decide upon.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) other European governments on the updating of the European Security Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has not discussed updating the European Security Strategy with the European Commission. Ahead of the 19-20 December European Council discussion on Defence, an informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers, attended by the Secretary of State, discussed whether such a strategy was necessary. The UK did not support an update of the European Security Strategy.
	While there was no consensus on updating the European Security Strategy, the European Council on Defence, attended by the Prime Minister, invited
	"the High Representative, in close co-operation with the Commission, to assess the impact of changes in the global environment, and to report to the Council in the course of 2015 on the challenges and opportunities arising for the Union, following consultations with the member states".

Local Government Finance: North Yorkshire

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total net change in central government funding to (a) Middlesbrough Council and (b) Redcar and Cleveland Council has been since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: It is not possible to calculate the net change in central Government support to individual local authorities over this period due to changes in the way that local government is financed. From 2013-14, local government has been able to retain a portion of business rates and receive the benefit of any growth on this amount.
	Details of the provisional settlement for 2014-15 are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-information-for-local-authorities-and-non-domestic-rates-pools
	Details of previous settlements are available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ssas.htm

Private Rented Housing: Construction

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what funds his Department has allocated to the Build to Rent scheme; and how much has been lent under that scheme to date;
	(2)  how many applications under the Build to Rent scheme have been (a) received, (b) accepted and (c) refused from (i) private developers, (iii) housing associations, (iii) housing co-operatives, (iv) local authorities and (v) other entities;
	(3)  if he will publish, for each application (a) accepted and (b) refused under the Build to Rent scheme to date, (i) the amount loaned or requested, (ii) the recipient and (iii) the number of units of housing covered by the application;
	(4)  how many (a) developments and (b) homes have (i) been started and (ii) been completed under the Build to Rent scheme since the commencement of that scheme;
	(5)  how many of the properties built under the Build to Rent scheme to date are (a) affordable rents, (b) social rents and (c) market rents.

Kris Hopkins: holding answer 26 November 2013
	The Government has allocated £1 billion of commercial finance support to the Build to Rent Fund to deliver up to 10,000 new homes for private rented sector at market rate. The Build to Rent Fund will help to give hard working families greater choice of high quality rented accommodation, as part of the Government's commitment to create a bigger and better private rented sector.
	Over £4 billion of bids have been received in response to the two bidding rounds undertaken for the Build to Rent Fund.
	A total of 95 eligible bids were received for Round One, requesting £1.4 billion of funding. Two contracts have been signed so far. These contracts relate to the following projects:
	Centenary Quay in Southampton, where 102 new private rented sector units will be delivered for £3.5 million of funding to Crest Nicholson. The first tenants are expected to occupy these new homes from May 2016.
	Three Towers in Manchester, where 192 new private rented sector units will be delivered for £7.9 million of funding to CS Capital Partners IV LP. The first tenants are expected to occupy these new homes from July 2015.
	A total of 126 bids have been received for Round Two, requesting £2.8 billion of funding. Bids are currently being shortlisted for Round Two, following the close of applications on 31 October.
	Applicants to Rounds One and Two self-classified themselves as follows:
	
		
			 Round 1 bids—breakdown by type of bidder 
			 Bidder (by type) Number of bidders 
			 Private company 64 
			 Public limited company 11 
			 Social landlords 13 
			 Other 7 
			 Grand total 95 
		
	
	
		
			 Round 2 bids—breakdown by type of bidder 
			 Bidder (by type) Number of bidders 
			 Private company 97 
			 Public limited company 11 
			 Social landlords 6 
			 Other 11 
			 Grand total 125 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide further details on other contracts until they have been signed due to the ongoing commercial negotiations.

Right to Buy Scheme

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the ability of tenants to manage service charges and leaseholder responsibilities after purchasing leasehold properties under the Right to Buy scheme.

Kris Hopkins: The Government has been clear that Right to Buy applicants must be provided with information on both the benefits and the responsibilities that homeownership brings. Our Right to Buy booklets—‘Want to make your home your own?’ and ‘Thinking of buying a council flat?’—provide tenants with advice and tools to help them work out the costs of homeownership. The booklets are available free from social landlords or can be downloaded at:
	http://righttobuy.communities.gov.uk/howtoapply/
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thinking-of-buying-your-council-flat--2
	The Housing Act 1985 includes a number of duties for social housing landlords on supporting potential Right to Buy leaseholders. Social housing landlords must provide all tenants with a document containing information on leaseholder responsibilities and other matters, to assist them in making their decision. As part of the offer notice to a Right to Buy applicant, landlords must also provide an estimate of service charges for the first five years of ownership.
	The Department is currently considering the responses to its recent consultation on proposals to cap leaseholder charges at £10,000 outside London (and £15,000 in London) where the works to tenanted homes receive future government funding. I would expect social landlords to ensure that leaseholder charges are always proportionate and rational, and deliver good value for money.
	Ministers are open to representations on what further steps can be taken to help public sector leaseholders.

Beef: Horse Meat

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what new safeguards his Department has put in place to ensure processed horsemeat is no longer being labelled as beef.

George Eustice: Following the horsemeat fraud there was a widespread programme of testing beef products for horse DNA that included both local authorities and industry. The UK Government was instrumental in prompting action at a European level including the Europe wide testing of products and has pressed successfully for a second round of Europe wide testing in 2014.
	The Food Labelling Regulations 1996 and the Food Information to consumers Regulation (EC) 1169/2011 require that the labelling of foods is not misleading. The penalty for breach of the Food Labelling Regulations is a fine at level five on the standard scale.
	Stronger legal remedies for serious criminal fraud are available under the Fraud Act. The Government recognised very early in the incident that there was likely to be complex international criminal activity involved, which is why the UK police, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and Europol were contacted at an early stage in the incident and the Food Standards Agency and the police have been working jointly since February. Investigations are ongoing.

Caldervale Railway Line

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timescale is for electrification of the Calderdale line between Manchester Victoria and Leeds.

Stephen Hammond: Currently no time scale exists for electrification of the Caldervale line. However, earlier this month the Government announced a joint taskforce to explore future electrification in the north. This group will provide the Secretary of State for Transport with an interim report within 12 months setting out how schemes can be brought forward and their development accelerated.
	The taskforce has been asked to ensure eight named routes are considered. This did not include the Caldervale line but the taskforce is free to consider the case for any route in the north. We plan to announce the structure and terms of reference of the taskforce shortly.

West Coast Railway Line

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is currently responsible for the maintenance of trains on the West Coast Main Line; and at what depots this maintenance takes place.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is currently responsible for the maintenance of trains on the West Coast Main Line; and at what depots this maintenance takes place.

Stephen Hammond: Franchisees operating trains on the West Coast Main Line are responsible for the provision of rolling stock required to operate their services. The details of what maintenance takes place at which depot can be ascertained from contacting the 10 passenger train operating companies.

Abortion

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that women do not experience undue delay in accessing abortion services in the first 10 weeks of a pregnancy;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for the declining proportion of abortions taking place at under 10 weeks' gestation; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that women do not experience undue delay in accessing abortion services.

Jane Ellison: In the last 10 years the proportion of abortions performed before 10 weeks gestation has increased by 33%. In 2011, 77.7% of abortions were performed before 10 weeks, while in 2012 77.4% were. This suggests a levelling rather than a decrease. Data for the last 10 years are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Gestation 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 3-9 weeks 58 60 67 68 70 73 75 77 78 77 
			 Source: Abortion Statistics, England and Wales (July 2013) 
		
	
	In March 2013, the Government published ‘A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England’ which emphasises the importance of early access to abortion services. A set of key indicators is being developed to monitor progress against the ambitions in the framework. One of the proposed indicators is the percentage of national health service funded abortions carried out at under 10 weeks' gestation.
	Clinical guidance—‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’—published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists sets out that abortion services must offer an assessment within five working days of referral or self-referral and that services should offer women the procedure within five days of the decision to proceed. Therefore the total time from access to procedure should not exceed 10 working days.

General Practitioners: Suffolk

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent per capita in each general practice area in Suffolk Coastal constituency in the last year for which data is available.

Daniel Poulter: Information is not available in the format requested.
	General practitioner (GP) practices hold contracts with NHS England to undertake work for the national health service. Funding for payments to GP practices is included in the general allocation made to NHS England by the Department.
	Information supplied by NHS England on per capita expenditure for general practices in Suffolk for 2012-13 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Suffolk GP practices per capita expenditure 2012-13 
			 Practice name Expenditure (£) List size £/capita 
			 Forest Surgery, Brandon 1,070,478 6,545 164 
			 Bungay Medical Centre 1,667,039 10,791 154 
			 Field Lane Surgery, Kessingland 996,518 6,473 154 
			 York Road, Southwold 748,611 5,059 148 
			 Westwood Surgery, Lowestoft 333,123 2,255 148 
			 Saxmundham 1,280,675 8,761 146 
			 Barham, Ipswich 238,851 1,675 143 
			 Andaman Surgery, Lowestoft 844,078 6,016 140 
			 Framfield House, Woodbridge 1,612,052 11,654 138 
			 Leiston 894,606 6,584 136 
			 Marine Parade, Lowestoft 720,506 5,312 136 
			 Brandon 764,178 5,657 135 
			 Hadleigh 1,935,525 14,374 135 
			 Long Melford. 1,279,501 9,537 134 
			 Fressingfield 637,149 .4,793 133 
			 Wickham Market 1,221,689 9,339 131 
			 Ravenswood, Ipswich 1,983,709 15,243 130 
			 East Bergholt 1,457,150 11,213 130 
			 Howard House, Felixstowe 898,460 6,946 129 
			 Aldeburgh 514,644 3,984 129 
			 Avicenna, Hopton 578,494 4,509 128 
			 Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds and Barrow 1,407,077 11,073 127 
			 Wickhambrook 531,695 4,200 127 
			 Wool pit 1,683,093 13,368 126 
			 Orchard Hse, Newmarket 1,239,621 9,956 125 
			 Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds 1,774,580 14,283 124 
			 Little St John's Street, Woodbridge 765,778 6,208 123 
			 Alderton 487,645 3,965 123 
			 Walton, Felixstowe 512,269 .4,168 123 
			 Hardwicke House, Sudbury 2,762,712 22,571 122 
		
	
	
		
			 Stowmarket 2,090,276 17,156 122 
			 Bildeston 827,623 6,802 122 
			 Debenham 1,028,074 8,503 121 
			 Glemsford 563,203 4,687 120 
			 Victoria Street, Ipswich 1,303,927 10,871 120 
			 Central Surgery, Felixstowe 1,776,680 14,825 120 
			 Holbrook 938,468 7,838 120 
			 Haven Health, Felixstowe 790,248 6,619 119 
			 Rosedale Surgery, Lowestoft 1,353,135 11,336 119 
			 Chesterfield Drive, Ipswich 1,281,439 10,781 119 
			 Bridge Road Surgery, Oulton Broad 1,233,292 10,440 118 
			 Norwich Road, Ipswich 1,161,482 9,843 118 
			 Cornish, Christmas Maltings, Haverhill 2,073,744 17,582 118 
			 Ixworth 1,074,288 9,152 117 
			 Victoria Road Surgery, Oulton Broad 1,167,677 9,970 117 
			 Alexandra Road Surgery, Lowestoft 1,948,868 16,802 116 
			 Botesdale 983,996 8,504 116 
			 Clare 583,700 5,049 116 
			 Mendlesham 813,094 7,039 116 
			 Ivry Street, Ipswich 1,249,165 10,852 115 
			 Beccles Medical Centre 2,298,342 20,040 115 
			 Burlington Road, Ipswich 1,900,679 16,623 114 
			 Swan Surgery, Swan Surgery 1,236,797 10,882 114 
			 Felixstowe Road, Ipswich 1,209,831 10,658 114 
			 Framlingham 1,042,206 9,182 114 
			 Mount Farm, Bury St Edmunds 1,510,588 13,320 113 
			 White House, Mildenhall 754,151 6,662 113 
			 Combs Fors, Stowmarket 1,139,591 10,120 113 
			 Barrack Lane, Ipswich 1,673,076 14,928 112 
			 Martlesham 662,226 5,945 111 
			 Kesgrave 880,385 7,918 111 
			 Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich 853,072 7,708 111 
			 Eye 645,464 5,880 110 
			 High Street Surgery, Lowesoft 1,153,322 10,516 110 
			 Rookery, Newmarket 1,559,920 14,246 109 
			 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich 1,317,110 12,046 109 
			 Deben Road, Ipswich 854,802 7,829 109 
			 Mohan, Christmas Maltings, Haverhill 1,114,039 10,226 109 
			 Market Cross, Mildenhall 1,157,692 10,629 109 
		
	
	
		
			 Derby Road, Ipswich 1,732,317 15,940 109 
			 Stourview, Haverhill 418,197 3,851 109 
			 Needham Market 1,338,794 12,498 107 
			 Lakenheath 532,167 4,980 107 
			 Oakfield, Newmarket 665,738 6,376 104 
			 Lattice Barn, Ipswich 1,383,798 13,279 104 
			 Siam Surgery, Sudbury 892,754 8,740 102 
			 Orchard Medical Centre, Ipswich 1,302,793 12,764 102 
			 Landseer Road, Ipswich 343,260 3,381 102 
			 Orchard Street, Ipswich 479,468 5,056 95 
			 Total 89,136,464 743,386 120 
			 Notes: Data based on list size as at January 2013 and expenditure for 2012-13 financial year. Source: NHS England

Mental Health Services

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of bed occupancy rates in NHS mental health trusts in England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the quality of patient care in NHS acute mental health services; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps are being taken to ensure mental health patients have appropriate access to crisis care and early intervention services;
	(4)  what indicators will be used by his Department to assess whether the NHS is delivering parity of esteem for mental health and physical health; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what progress NHS England has made in its review of calculating the proportion of the NHS budget spent on mental health conditions;
	(6)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness and efficacy of the commissioning of specialised services for mental health conditions following the passage of the Health and Social Care Act 2012;
	(7)  when his Department plans to review the commissioning of specialised services for mental health conditions following the passage of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Norman Lamb: The information requested for mental health bed occupancy rates in national health service trusts in England is not held in the format requested. However, the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre do collect information on the mental health bed occupancy and availability rates for all NHS trusts. Information collected from 2010-11 is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			 Title: Average daily available and occupied beds timeseries 
			 Number 
			   Available 
			 Year Period Total General and acute Learning disability Maternity Mental illness 
			 2010-11 Q1 144,455 110,568 2,465 7,906 23,515 
			 2010-11 Q2 141,477 108,349 2,237 7,962 22,929 
			 2010-11 Q3 141,630 108,023 2,088 7,778 23,740 
			 2010-11 Q4 142,319 108,890 1,974 7,848 23,607 
			 2011-12 Q1 137,354 104,574 1,721 7,805 23,253 
			 2011-12 Q2 138,525 105,545 1,784 7,987 23,208 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 Q3 137,963 105,245 1,756 7,946 23,016 
			 2011-12 Q4 140,454 107,449 1,937 7,948 23,121 
			 2012-13 Q1 137,287 104,888 1,966 7,883 22,550 
			 2012-13 Q2 135,559 103,730 1,743 7,816 22,269 
			 2012-13 Q3 136,044 103,956 1,728 7,864 22,496 
			 2012-13 Q4 138,178 106,374 1,697 7,839 22,268 
			 2013-14 Q1 136,487 104,917 1,706 7,755 22,109 
			 2013-14 Q2 135,077 103,717 1,662 7,672 22,025 
		
	
	
		
			 Number 
			   Occupied 
			 Year Period Total General and acute Learning disability Maternity Mental illness 
			 2010-11 Q1 122,551 95,430 1,895 4,756 20,470 
			 2010-11 Q2 119,298 92,775 1,766 4,87.9 19,878 
			 2010-11 Q3 121,497 94,741 1,618 4,738 20,400 
			 2010-11 Q4 123,279 96,566 1,519 4,738 20,456 
			 2011-12 Q1 116,452 90,317 1,341 4,616 20,178 
			 2011-12 Q2 116,372 89,981 1,412 4,841 20,139 
			 2011-12 Q3 117,708 91,448 1,340 4,841 20,079 
			 2011-12 Q4 122,105 95,633 1,450 4,851 20,171 
			 2012-13 Q1 118,064 92,145 1,457 4,730 19,732 
			 2012-13 Q2 115,730 89,917 1,414 4,736 19,663 
			 2012-13 Q3 116,974 91,347 1,385 4,631 19,610 
			 2012-13 Q4 121,108 95,516 1,378 4,486 19,728 
			 2013-14 Q1 118,100 92,812 1,355 4,406 19,527 
			 2013-14 Q2 115,126 89,619 1,357 4,500 19,650 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage 
			   Percentage occupied 
			 Year Period Total General and acute Learning disability Maternity Mental illness 
			 2010-11 Q1 84.8 86.3 76.9 60.2 87.1 
			 2010-11 Q2 84.3 85.6 78.9 61.3 86.7 
			 2010-11 Q3 85.8 87.7 77.5 60.9 85.9 
			 2010-11 Q4 86.6 88.7 77.0 60.4 86.6 
			 2011-12 Q1 84.8 86.4 77.9 59.1 86.8 
			 2011-12 Q2 84.0 85.3 79.1 60.6 86.8 
			 2011-12 Q3 85.3 86.9 76.3 60.9 87.2 
			 2011-12 Q4 86.9 89.0 74.8 61.0 87.2 
			 2012-13 Q1 86.0 87.9 74.1 60.0 87.5 
			 2012-13 Q2 85.4 86.7 81.1 60.6 88.3 
			 2012-13 Q3 86.0 87.9 80.2 58.9 87.2 
			 2012-13 Q4 87.6 89.8 81.2 57.2 88.6 
			 2013-14 Q1 86.5 88.5 79.4 56.8 88.3 
			 2013-14 Q2 85.2 86.4 81.6 58.6 89.2 
			 Notes: 1. Summary: KH03 collects the number of available and occupied beds open overnight that are under the care of consultants. 2. Period: Q1 2010-11 to Q2 2013-14. Source: NHS England: Unify2 data collection—KH03 
		
	
	Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning non-specialised acute mental health services and use the standard NHS contract and associated quality parameters.
	Quality at a national level is assessed through a number of measures including through National Clinical Audits and Confidential Inquiries which are commissioned by NHS England. The National Clinical Audit is designed to assess and improve patient outcomes across a wide range of medical, surgical and mental health conditions.
	NHS England is making a number of changes in respect of ensuring greater parity of esteem between mental health and acute services, as a result of the review of incentives, rewards and sanctions. These are in the NHS Standard Contract and the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme.
	Within the NHS Standard Contract for 2014-15, we will:
	establish a specific mandated financial sanction in respect of provider performance against the existing standard for patients on the Care Programme Approach to be followed up within one week of discharge; and
	introduce new standards, again with specific mandated financial sanctions, for completion of Mental Health Minimum Data Set returns, in respect of completion of the fields relating to ethnicity and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Minimum Data Set returns relating to patient outcomes.
	Of the four national CQUIN indicators proposed for 2014-15, two will relate specifically to mental health services—the Dementia and Delirium indicator and a new indicator, applicable to mental health providers only, on improving physical health care to reduce premature mortality in people with severe, mental illness. The third national indicator is the Friends and Family Test, a measurement of patient experience which will be rolled out to mental health service providers during 2014-15. (The fourth indicator is the NHS Safety Thermometer.)
	The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements. On 29 November 2013, the CQC published the report ‘A fresh start for the regulation and inspection of mental health services’. The report sets out changes the CQC is proposing to make in the way it inspects specialist mental health care services. The key changes are:
	including mental health specialists on all inspections of mental health services and bringing together our work under the Mental Health Act and how we regulate mental health services;
	setting up inspection teams of specialist inspectors, Experts by Experience and professional experts;
	rating mental health services with one of the following: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate;
	engaging with people who use services, their carers and families, during inspections and at other times in new ways;
	making sure we have better information about mental health services and developing our intelligent monitoring system for these services;
	looking at how people are cared for as they move between services; and
	recognising that mental health treatment and support is part of services in all sectors.
	The Department is currently working with a range of agencies and representative organisations to develop a single national Crisis Care Concordat. It is important that people receive the right type of high quality care at the right time. Handling mental health problems early in the community means that acute care is then available to people who need it quickly. Secondary mental health services have been reorganised to improve care in the community and in hospitals.
	Improving early intervention services remains a key national priority. The cross-Government mental health strategy, ‘No Health Without Mental Health’, highlights the case for prevention and early intervention and the costs of doing nothing.
	Public Health England's priorities for 2013-14 include a commitment to
	“develop a national programme on mental health in public health that supports ‘No Health Without Mental Health’, prioritising the promotion of mental wellbeing, prevention of mental health problems and the prevention of suicide, along with improving the wellbeing of those living with and recovering from mental illness.”
	We will hold the NHS to account for the quality of services and outcomes for mental health patients through the NHS Outcomes Framework. There are four measures which relate specifically to mental health. Improvements for people with mental health problems will also be a crucial element of success across the framework as a whole.
	The Department has also recently published the Mental Health Dashboard which brings together mental health outcomes data to show progress made against the ‘Mental Health Strategy No Health without mental health’. This is available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-dashboard
	NHS England plans to publish annual estimates of NHS commissioned expenditure by health care condition, which will include an analysis of mental health expenditure. NHS England is currently working with stakeholders to establish the format, processes and timetable for the data collection.
	NHS England works with the 10 Area Teams responsible for commissioning specialist mental health services locally, meeting monthly to ensure consistency in approach and equity for patients. All aspects of the standard NHS contract apply equally to specialised mental health services and the same national mandated requirements apply.
	Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs) cover the full range of specialised services and are responsible for providing NHS England with clinical advice regarding these directly commissioned services. The CRGs are made up of clinicians, commissioners, public health experts and patients and carers, and are responsible for the delivery of key 'products' such as service specifications and commissioning policies, which enable NHS England to commission services from specialist providers through the contracting arrangements overseen by its Area Teams. CRGs approach the development of service specifications and quality standards from a clinically effective, patient centred perspective.
	NHS England now has one contract per independent sector provider with different Area Teams taking the lead for individual providers. This ensures greater consistency with regard to services expectations and quality. Each Area Team is responsible for the quality and safety of the services in their catchment area, and will work with the Area Team that holds the contract to ensure key messages and areas of concern are pursued contractually if required. NHS England also case manages secure patients within each specialised Area Team catchment area to ensure they are in the right place, at the right time receiving the right treatment. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services case management has also been introduced and is being rolled out.
	NHS England has directions on the commissioning of high secure services and reports annually to the Department.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to NHS England's document Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer Third Annual Report, paragraph 5.17 on stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), how NHS England plans to examine the potential utility of SABR to treat oligometastic disease;
	(2)  pursuant to NHS England's document Standards for the Provision of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), for what specific cancers other than early stage lung cancer SABR has clear benefits;
	(3)  pursuant to NHS England's document Standards for the Provision of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), section 2.2 Service description/care pathway, what programmes NHS England has in place to measure the cost and clinical effectiveness of SABR treatment for renal cancer, hepatic primary tumours, hepatic metastases, spinal tumours and oligometastases against (a) conventional radiotherapy and (b) surgical procedures.

Jane Ellison: The radiotherapy clinical reference group is undertaking a review of the role and evidence to support the use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in oligometastic disease. This review wilt consider the options for collecting additional evidence of its clinical and cost-effectiveness which be used to inform NHS England's commissioning position.
	Current evidence only supports the routine use of SABR for a small subset of patients with early non-small cell lung cancer, as set out in NHS England's commissioning policy statement on SABR. NHS England's SABR commissioning policy statement will be reviewed in April 2014, at which time the radiotherapy clinical reference group will examine whether further evidence has come to light regarding the clinical and cost-effectiveness of SABR in treating other cancers.